Page:Malabari, Behramji M. - Gujarat and the Gujaratis (1882).djvu/57

Rh did we take to each other, that I refused to make the acquaintance of others at Broach. My first impressions of Broach are thus recorded:—

Broach, thou venerable relic of departed commercial activity, father of far-famed Gujarát, once the proud emporium of the trade of Gujarát, Káttywár, and Rajputáná, cradled by the holy Narbadá and sanctified by the presence of the sacred Sukaltirth, I walk thy dusty, musty, spongy surface with a gentle gingerly tread! Hail land of pugilists and prudes, hail hoary dust-town, miniature Cottonopolis, all hail to thee!

One cannot help loving this dear old town with all its drawbacks. While a man is there, he feels as if he were treading his grandpapa's well-preserved stomach after tiffin. This is a favourite pastime among natives: their afternoon meal is the most copious of all, after which, feeling a little uneasy on having swallowed about two pounds of rice and the other concomitants, the elders of the family lie flat on the back, and invite the young hopefuls to pommel and